Tornadoes In Illinois Cause 'Severe Damage'

(This post was last updated at 5:16 p.m. ET.)

A line of storms moving through the country's midsection has already produced a few damaging tornadoes and the National Weather Service predicts that major severe weather could break out as the system moves east.

"Numerous fast-moving thunderstorms, capable of producing strong tornadoes along with widespread damaging winds and large hail, will move across portions of the middle Mississippi and Ohio Valley region and the southern Great Lakes region for the remainder of today into this evening," the Weather Service reports.

In Illinois, a series of tornadoes raked the outskirts of Peoria. Washington, Ill. has so far been the hardest hit with reports of entire blocks of homes leveled.

Images show a landscape of fallen trees and homes reduced to rubble.

The Peoria Journal Star reports that dozens are injured and the national guard and rescue teams are on the scene. Jonathon E. Monken, the director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, tells CNN that the storms have killed at least three people in his state.

We'll update this post through the afternoon, so hit refresh to see the latest.

Update at 4:47 p.m. ET. 109 Tornado Warnings:

Just how large and wide has this storm system cut? Over the course of the day, the Weather Service has issued 109 tornado warnings, which should give you an idea.

With the line of severe weather about to move through Chicago, the game at Soldier Field between the Bears and the Ravens, has been suspended. The fans at the stadium were told to leave the seating area and move to a covered concourse.

"The National Weather Service reports that a confirmed tornado was on the ground near Coal City on the Grundy County-Will County line. It was moving northeast at 55 m.p.h. That tornado, described as 'large and extremely dangerous,' was also seen near Wilmington.

"The agency described the situation as 'particularly dangerous' and 'life threatening' while asking people to 'take cover now.'

"'We're very concerned,' weather service meteorologist Gino Izzi said earlier. 'We're definitely stressing that this is not your run-of-the-mill tornado watch.'"